Let the games begin
The boys of summer are back, and the American League East hasn't been stronger than it is now in more than 15 years.
I know that, at this point, we're only in the second week of the season, but at the same time it's given us a taste of what we may well be expecting this year from the Blue Jays, Yankees and BoSox.
The Jays are going to be, once again, relying heavily on Roy Halladay to get them at least his expected 19 wins, while hoping that the rest of the starting line-up stays healthy. It's not so much the pitching that was the issue last year, it was the club's lack of offense.
The acquisition of David Eckstein will hopefully give the Jays a needed boost, as will re-acquiring Shannon Stewart. But the big boys, notably Vernon Wells, Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay, will need to pick up the remnants of an average, or below average season last year and turn it into something more. As in, more hits, more runs, more homeruns.
Defensively the team is pretty set. They had one of the strongest outfields in the league before the ousted Reed Johnson, and though they've lost a little bit of his touch, they're starting three outfielders with Wells, Alex Rios and either Stewart or Matt Stairs, are good if not solid.
But what it will, sadly, most likely come down to in the AL East is can the Blue Jays have a good season and follow that by praying that either the Yankees or the BoSox tank enough to give the Jays that playoff shot they've been waiting for since the last time they won the World Series in 1993.
However if baseball isn't exactly you're thing, which as attendance at the Rogers Centre will attest is the majority of the population, there is still of course the CFL which will kickoff their regular season in June.
And of course Major League Soccer in Canada has already started for the Toronto FC, though right now they've picked up almost exactly where they left off last year with a 0-2 record. Granted, at least they've scored a goal.
The options are there - but just remember, I never really said they were good options.
I know that, at this point, we're only in the second week of the season, but at the same time it's given us a taste of what we may well be expecting this year from the Blue Jays, Yankees and BoSox.
The Jays are going to be, once again, relying heavily on Roy Halladay to get them at least his expected 19 wins, while hoping that the rest of the starting line-up stays healthy. It's not so much the pitching that was the issue last year, it was the club's lack of offense.
The acquisition of David Eckstein will hopefully give the Jays a needed boost, as will re-acquiring Shannon Stewart. But the big boys, notably Vernon Wells, Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay, will need to pick up the remnants of an average, or below average season last year and turn it into something more. As in, more hits, more runs, more homeruns.
Defensively the team is pretty set. They had one of the strongest outfields in the league before the ousted Reed Johnson, and though they've lost a little bit of his touch, they're starting three outfielders with Wells, Alex Rios and either Stewart or Matt Stairs, are good if not solid.
But what it will, sadly, most likely come down to in the AL East is can the Blue Jays have a good season and follow that by praying that either the Yankees or the BoSox tank enough to give the Jays that playoff shot they've been waiting for since the last time they won the World Series in 1993.
However if baseball isn't exactly you're thing, which as attendance at the Rogers Centre will attest is the majority of the population, there is still of course the CFL which will kickoff their regular season in June.
And of course Major League Soccer in Canada has already started for the Toronto FC, though right now they've picked up almost exactly where they left off last year with a 0-2 record. Granted, at least they've scored a goal.
The options are there - but just remember, I never really said they were good options.
